Lead Substation Project Engineer

WSP Global Inc.; San Diego (CA); Remote; USD 120,000 - 213,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible workplace model

Health benefits

Retirement savings

Job summary

WSP Global Inc. is seeking a Lead Substation Project Engineer for our Data Center Initiation Team. The role may be based in Overland Park, KS, or one of several locations, with remote work options.

You will provide technical leadership for early-stage substation design and influence decisions for large-scale data center infrastructure projects. You will guide substation design, equipment selection, and transmission interconnections while collaborating across WSP’s global organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering.
• 10+ years of substation design experience.
• Experience leading design packages or acting as technical lead.
• Strong knowledge of substation systems, equipment, and design standards.
• Independent execution and coordination of technical work.

Responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary coordination for site evaluation, infrastructure planning, and integration.
• Lead execution of technical work during early project phases (initiation through design).
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to junior engineers and designers.
• Review and produce design deliverables (plans, elevations, wiring diagrams, etc.).
• Ensure QA/QC compliance across assigned deliverables.

Skills

Leadership

Coordination

Project management

Communication

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) License

Job description

This Opportunity

WSP is seeking a Lead Substation Project Engineer for our Data Center Initiation Team in Overland Park, KS. The following locations will also be considered: Seattle, New York, and San Diego. We can also offer this position remotely. This role provides technical leadership for early-stage substation development and supports strategic decision-making for large-scale data center infrastructure projects.

As demand for AI, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure accelerates, our clients are developing some of the world's largest, most complex, and most power-intensive facilities. In this role, you will help deliver the electrical infrastructure that enables next-generation data center campuses-projects requiring hundreds of megawatts of power and unprecedented levels of planning, engineering, and coordination. You will work across the full project lifecycle, playing a key role in delivering critical infrastructure for some of the industry's most prominent clients.

What makes this opportunity unique is the breadth of collaboration across WSP's global organization. You will work alongside top experts in their field to solve highly complex infrastructure challenges. This multidisciplinary environment provides exposure to the full range of technical and strategic considerations required to successfully develop large-scale data center campuses. You will contribute to the planning and design of substations, transmission interconnections, and site electrical infrastructure while supporting fast-paced projects that demand innovation, technical excellence, and strong collaboration.

If you're energized by large-scale infrastructure projects, enjoy solving complex technical challenges, and want to help shape the future of digital infrastructure, this is an opportunity to make a lasting impact while accelerating your career on some of the most significant power delivery projects being developed today.

In this role, you’ll lead the development of innovative substation designs at the earliest stages of high-profile data center projects. Your work will directly enable clients to evaluate feasibility, scalability, and long-term reliability, setting the foundation for successful project delivery.

You’ll collaborate across WSP’s diverse business lines to assess site conditions, utility capacity, and system requirements, bringing together the insights needed to turn complex challenges into actionable solutions. As a technical leader, you’ll drive substation configuration, guide critical equipment selection, and define forward-thinking electrical infrastructure strategies.

Beyond design, you’ll play a key role in leading multidisciplinary teams and advancing projects from initial concept through to design handoff.

Your Impact

• Lead multidisciplinary coordination for site evaluation, infrastructure planning, and integration
• Support and contribute to proposal strategy, scope, and technical approach
• Lead execution of technical work during early project phases (initiation through design)
• Serve as a key interface with clients, utilities, and stakeholders
• Conduct site visits to validate designs and address constructability challenges
• Develop and track project scope, schedules, and technical deliverables
• Perform and oversee substation design, including:
• Physical design and/or protection & control systems
• Layouts, grounding, lightning protection, and SCADA integration
• Review and produce design deliverables (plans, elevations, wiring diagrams, etc.)
• Provide oversight and review of engineering studies and calculations
• Support equipment specification, procurement, and vendor evaluation
• Ensure QA/QC compliance across assigned deliverables
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to junior engineers and designers
• Contribute to continuous improvement of design practices and standards
• Communicate technical concepts clearly to diverse audiences
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources and conduct, and adhere to WSP's Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering
• 10+ years of substation design experience
• Experience leading design packages or acting as technical lead
• Strong knowledge of substation systems, equipment, and design standards
• Experience in either physical or P&C design (cross-discipline exposure preferred)
• Ability to independently execute and coordinate technical work
• Strong communication, leadership, and coordination skills
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities
• Must be flexible to a variety of schedules to meet business needs and able to prioritize responsibilities and quickly adapt to change in a pressure work environment.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and support junior staff
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineer (PE) License
• Experience serving as technical lead on multi-discipline projects
• Data center or large infrastructure project experience

WSP Benefits

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation

Expected Salary (all locations): $119,600 - $213,000

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.

Expected Salary (Colorado only): $111,200 - $186,000

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and/or offer for this position within the state of Colorado, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.

About WSP

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.

www.wsp.com

WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.

At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?

WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.

The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.

Notice To Third Party Agencies

WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.